The former world No. 1 Venus Williams is still sensational on the tennis court. Despite being 43 years old, the older Williams sister remains a fighter. This quality was highlighted once again when she defeated Veronika Kudermetova in the first round at Cincinnati.
This is Venus’ first victory over a top-20 player in over four years. The last time Venus defeated a top-20 opponent was at the same event when she knocked out Kiki Bertens.
Williams was in good rhythm as she ousted Kudermetova, defeating her 6-4, 7-5 in straight sets in the first round. The rain had interrupted play twice already, but Venus did not lose her focus throughout the match.
The Venus Williams twirl™️ 🥰#CincyTennis | @Venuseswilliams pic.twitter.com/Uq9kvxiikq
— Western & Southern Open (@CincyTennis) August 14, 2023
Following the match, Venus revealed she did her best to prepare for the tournament in a short amount of time. “I love this game, it’s what I do,” she said (via BBC).
Veronika had been leading 4-1 in both sets. The world number 16 had a chance to level and win the match, but Venus came at her hard. Williams was on song, as she came back from behind on both occasions and notched up her first victory on the tour since June.
Some Venus spice! 🔥#venuswilliams #veelievers pic.twitter.com/C0gukSZgP6
— Cincinnati 🔜💙 (@VeeSTARWilliams) August 14, 2023
Kudermetova had hit 16 winners compared to Venus, who had nine. But the one area that separated the two was the sheer number of unforced errors. Veronika had 33, more than double that of Venus, who made only 15 unforced errors throughout the match.
These are exciting times for Venus, who not only won her first game, but also unveiled a life-sized portrait of herself. Now, Williams will want to carry this momentum forward. The world number one will face either Qinwen Zheng or Aliaksandra Sasnovich next.
Venus Williams unveils a life-sized portrait of herself
The 7-time Grand Slam champion got a life-sized portrait done by an artist. Anna Weyant, who painted Venus, is a Canadian artist, based in New York. Maria Sharapova, another former world number one, also follows Weyant’s work on Instagram.
Williams paid a visit to the art gallery and shared the photo of herself standing next to the portrait. She also shared the photo on her Instagram, with the caption, “Now I will live forever.”
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The portrait shows Venus in a black dress. It is part of Anna’s solo exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery in New York City. Williams, who is an art connoisseur herself, must be thrilled by this piece.
Venus Williams is a well-recognized name around the globe. While her performances have not been on par lately, she still has the skills to defeat her opponent on a good day. With the US Open looming large, Williams will certainly hope to put on a good show on home soil.